The New Gidget
| The New Gidget | |
|---|---|
 Season 1 title screen | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by |
Carole Coates Sheree Guitar Chris Miller Larry Mollin Michael Sutton |
| Directed by |
Bob Chenault Doug Rogers Robert Duchowny Ted Lange |
| Starring |
Caryn Richman Dean Butler Lili Haydn Sydney Penny William Schallert |
| Theme music composer |
Marek Norman Craig Snyder Jeffrey Vilinsky |
| Opening theme | "One in a Million" performed by Marek Norman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Harry Ackerman Ralph Riskin |
| Producer(s) |
Carole Coates George Zateslo Larry Mollin |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Harry Ackerman Productions Columbia Pictures Television |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Syndication |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | September 15, 1986 – May 12, 1988 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Gidget's Summer Reunion |
| Related shows | Gidget |
The New Gidget is an American sitcom sequel to the original 1965–66 sitcom Gidget that aired in syndication from September 15, 1986 to May 12, 1988. The series was produced by original Gidget series producer Harry Ackerman and was launched after the made-for-television film Gidget's Summer Reunion, starring Caryn Richman as Gidget, aired in 1985.
Plot
The series features Gidget, who is in her late 20s and married to her idol, "Moondoggie" (Dean Butler). The couple live in Santa Monica, California, where Moondoggie works as an architect and Gidget runs the "Gidget Travel Agency" with her long-time best friend, Larue (Jill Jacobson).
Gidget and Moondoggie take care of Gidget's niece, Dani (Sydney Penny), who lives with the couple while her parents (Gidget's sister, Anne and husband John) are overseas. Dani is similar to Gidget when she was a teen and was always getting into trouble with her best friend, Gail (Lili Haydn). Gidget's father, Russ (William Schallert), is on hand to provide advice to the young couple and to remind Gidget that Dani's exploits were similar to the ones she experienced (and sometimes caused) as a teen.
Cast
- Caryn Richman as Francine "Gidget" Lawrence Griffin
- Dean Butler as Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin
- Sydney Penny as Danielle "Dani" Collins
- Lili Haydn as Gail Mitchell
- William Schallert as Russell "Russ" Lawrence
- Don Stroud as The Great Kahuna
- Jill Jacobson as Larue Wilson
- Richard Paul as Wilton Parmenter
- David Preston as Murph the Surf
Episodes
Season 1
| Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Windsurfing Lesson" | September 15, 1986 |
| 2 | "The Project" | September 22, 1986 |
| 3 | "Crime and Punishment" | September 29, 1986 |
| 4 | "On Account of Danni" | October 6, 1986 |
| 5 | "Fighting City Hall" | October 13, 1986 |
| 6 | "The List" | October 20, 1986 |
| 7 | "Jeff's Anniversary Present" | October 27, 1986 |
| 8 | "The Concert" | November 3, 1986 |
| 9 | "The Baby" | November 10, 1986 |
| 10 | "Super Gidget" | November 17, 1986 |
| 11 | "The '65 Mustang (a.k.a. The '65 Convertible)" | November 24, 1986 |
| 12 | "Stand Up and Cheer (a.k.a. Danni Becomes a Cheerleader)" | December 1, 1986 |
| 13 | "Kahuna for Sale" | December 18, 1986 |
| 14 | "Passion for Fashion" | December 15, 1986 |
| 15 | "The Perfect Man" | December 22, 1986 |
| 16 | "The Royal Bluff" | August 29, 1986 |
| 17 | "Citizen Moondoggie" | January 5, 1987 |
| 18 | "It's Only Rock & Roll" | January 12, 1987 |
| 19 | "Oddballs" | January 19, 1987 |
| 20 | "Jake's Shakes" | January 26, 1987 |
| 21 | "Does Paul Know?" | February 2, 1987 |
| 22 | "Dead Man's Curl" | February 9, 1987 |
Season 2
| Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | "Gilligidge Island" | September 17, 1987 |
| 24 | "Bred to Shred" | September 24, 1987 |
| 25 | "Invasion of the Gidget People" | October 1, 1987 |
| 26 | "Sealed With a Kiss" | October 8, 1987 |
| 27 | "Head Over Handlebars" | October 26, 1987 |
| 28 | "Drag City" | October 29, 1987 |
| 29 | "Boy Talk" | November 5, 1987 |
| 30 | "The Getaway" | November 12, 1987 |
| 31 | "Kahuna, Jr." | November 19, 1987 |
| 32 | "Malibu Man" | November 26, 1987 |
| 33 | "Potion Emotion" | December 3, 1987 |
| 34 | "Calendar Boys" | December 10, 1987 |
| 35 | "A Christmas Curl" | December 17, 1987 |
| 36 | "Radio Free Malibu" | January 7, 1988 |
| 37 | "Gidget's Guide to Surfing" | January 21, 1988 |
| 38 | "Blast From the Past" | February 4, 1988 |
| 39 | "Rad Chad" | February 11, 1988 |
| 40 | "Altered Surf" | February 18, 1988 |
| 41 | "Perky Pirates of the Pipeline" | February 25, 1988 |
| 42 | "Avocado Heads" | April 28, 1988 |
| 43 | "The Bare Facts (a.k.a. Gidget and Danni Get Arrested)" | May 5, 1988 |
| 44 | "Make Waves, Not War" | May 12, 1988 |
Notable guest stars
- Nina Blackwood
- Bob Denver
- Elinor Donahue
- Alice Ghostley
- Alan Hale
- Jan and Dean
- Patricia Morison
- The Safaris
- Timothy Stack
- Frank Stallone
- Jesse White
- Wolfman Jack